Signors to s



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

P. L. WEIMER, OF LEBANON, AND S. P. FRANCISCO, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, AS-

\ SIGNORS TO S. P. FRANCISCO.

OPERATING THE ,VALVES 0F STEAM-HAMMERS.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PETER L. WEIMER, of Lebanon, in the county of Lebanon and State of Pennsylvania, and SAMUEL P. FRANCISCO, of Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Hammers; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part thereof, in which- Figure 1, represents a perspective view of the hammer complete. Fig. 2, represents a transverse section through the rock shaft, to which the hammer is attached. Figs. 3, and t, represent modifications of the general plan shown in Fig. 1, which will be specially referred to in the description.

Similar letters where they occur in the several figures denote like parts in all.

The nature of our invention consists in the arrangement of the expanding levers, by which any desired movement-may be given to the steam valve, and through it to the steam hammer, thus putting the action of the hammer more completely, and ethciently under the control of the operator, who can check, increase, or diminish, the extent and force of the blow at pleasure, or as circumstances may require.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will proceed to describe its construction and operation, in connection with the drawings.

On suitable pillar blocks A A, is supported the hollow shaft B, to which is firmly attached the lever or helve C, carrying the hammer D. E, is the anvil. On the uprights F, F, is arranged the buffer or spring G, which checks the hammer on its ascent, and throws it back by the recoil. These devices are well known in steam hammers, and need not be more particularly described.

H, is a steam cylinder provided with a piston head, and rod I, which latter is pivoted to the shoe or stock J, in which the lever or helve C, is supported, at a.

K, is the steam chest, the front (b) of which is removed, to show the slide valve L in the chest.

M, M, are two plugs, connected respectively to two levers N, N, which have their fulcra in the uprights O, O. These plugs move across the ports leading from the 16,515, dated January 27, 1857.

steam chest to the interior of the cylinder, and by them the ports may be closed at pleasure, to either hold the hammer when up, -or to let it fall against the steam as a cushion, as the ports may be acting as inlet or exhaust ports.

The shaft B, is hollow, and within or thro-ugh it passes a second hollow shaft P, and through this latter shaft P, passes a third one Q. The two interior shaft-s P, Q, are capable of being turned within the shaft B, by their respective levers R, S: and these two levers move in close proximity to a circular rack T, and have teeth o, c, upon them so that they can be held at any desirable point on said circular rack, or be moved at pleasure', to change the blow of the hammer, or adapt it to the different thicknesses of metal to be worked upon.

On one end of the shaft B, is a crank U, and on the corresponding enol of the shaft P, and in close proximity to the crank U, is one of a pair of expanding levers, arms, or toe pieces (V), and on the end of the shaft Q, close to the lever V, is the other one WV, of the pair of levers.

e, is a wrist pin, passing through square blocks f, set in slots cl, in both of the upper ends of the levers V, W, and thence into the crank U. The object of the slots d, and blocks f, are to admit of the spreading or expanding of the levers V, W, while they continue to be rocked or vibrated by the wrist pin e, passing through them into the crank U. An eccentric h, is arranged on the end of the shaft Q, which eccentric works in an open eccentric in the lever W', so that the turning of the shaft Q, by the lever S, on one of its ends, will also turn the expanding lever W, on its other end. On the shaft P, is also another eccentric z', which works in a similar manner with the expanding lever V-the shaft P, being turned by its lever R, on one end, also turns the expanding lever V, on its opposite ends. Now the two eccentrics L, z', being placed on opposite sides of their respect-ive shafts from each other, it is obvious that as the levers R, S, are spread, so will be the spreading of the levers -V, W.

lc, is a valve-rod, passing through a stuffing box Z, in the end of the steam chest K, and connected to the valve L, within the chest. On this valve rod or stem 7c, are two toes m, m, between which the lower ends of the levers V, lV, vibrate; and the extreme end of said valve stem is supported in a block n through which it slides. One of the levers V, 1W, represents the inlet Port, and the other the escape, and consequently just as they are spread apart will they increase the motion of the slide valve L, and the size of the steam ways, by exposing more of them.' And vice versa, as the two levers are brought together so will the motion of the valve and the consequent opening of the steam ways diminish, until, when the levers are brought one rightY over the other, the motion of the valve would entirely cease, as the rocking of the shaft B, is not sufficient-to bring the points of said levers into Contact with the toes m, on the valve stem. The levers V, W, can be set independent of each other, so that the inlet and exhaust may be varied at pleasure, and thus the very nicest adjustment of the motion, or power of the hammer may be had.

The steam may be introduced into the valve chest through a pipe at 0, and the exit or exhaust may be arranged at any convenient place.

In Fig. 3, a modification of the expanding levers, is shown they being here represented as toggle levers, but operating, precisely as those represented in Figs. l, 2, upon the toes on the valve stem. The same or corresponding parts in this ligure are represented by the same letters as in Figs. 1, 2, and no further description of their operation need be given.

In Fig. t as in Fig. 3, a single shaft is or may be used for operating the slide valve. In Fig. 4, the crank .is used much longer than in Fig. 3, this however is the case because single instead of double levers are used. These devices are merely different in form, but not in effect, as in all three cases, the levers are spread so as to catch against the toes of the valve stem, and oper ate the valve accordingly. The levers in all the cases move from the same center or fulcra, and are separately adjustable though they both move at the same time and by the same means, viz: the rocking of the shaft upon which the hammer is rigged.

Having thus fully described the nature of our invention we would state that we are aware, that expanding wedges in a vibrating arm have been used for working the valve; and that a rod made adjustable by screws and nuts, has also been used for this purpose. These we do not claim but l/Vhat we do claim herein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is The so arranging the crank U and the expanding levers V, W, on the axes or trunnions of the hammer stock, as that they can be separately adjusted thereon, but at the same time worked with the rocking or rolling of the hammer shaft, for the purpose of regulating at any time the power and motion of the hammer, by or vthrough the movement of the slide valve, as herein set forth.

PETER L. WEIMER. SAMUEL P. FRANCISCO.

Vitnesses to the signature of Peter L. lVeimer:

AANTI-mur S. ELY,

JosIAH GREENAWALT.

Vitnesses to the signature of Samuel P. Francisco:

FRANK B. MILLER, A. JORDAN SwAR'rz. 

